Wimbledon 2013 will always be remembered as historic, but also, in its own way peculiar. After the draw had been made the speculation started. Novak Djokovic was the top seed, Andy Murray was the second seed, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were also in the same half as Murray. If the British were to break their long, long wait for a male champion it looked that Murray would have to beat the other members of the top three to do it. This would be no easy ask for the world number two, he would just have to play his best and see what occurred.
Day One- The first shock of the tournament as Nadal fell in straight sets to Steve Darcis. Darcis played the match of his life and took the first two sets in very tight tiebreaks, before breaking Nadal serve in third set to take out the 5th seed. Stan Wawrinka, seeded 11th, also fell in straight sets on day one to unseeded Lleyton Hewitt. Lleyton managed to get breaks of serve in every set, with no tiebreaks needed, also falling on the first day were Janko Tipsarevic (14) and Fabio Fognini (30). On the ladies side Sara Errani, the 5th seed, also went out as well as Varvara Lepchenko (26).
Day Two- We saw the exit of more seeded players, most noteably from the British perspective was the win by Laura Robson (at the time British number one) over Maria Kirilenko (10) in straight sets. In total eight seeded players left on day two, five on the ladies side.
Day Three- This became known as "Wacky Wednesday" as a total of 12 seeds fell in one day. Now, we use the term "fell" here in more than one way, some of the players had complained that the grass was too slippery and they had been falling over whilst playing and sustaining injuries. One such player was Victoria Azarenka (2) who did not even take to the court for her 2nd round match. Maria Sharapova was taken out in straight sets by a Portuguese qualifier, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga retired from his match against Ernests Gulbis, but the headlines of this day belonged to a man from Ukraine.
Sergiy Stakhovsky faced the defending champion Roger Federer and was the underdog for this match. Stakhovsky had nothing to lose and played the match of his life to take out Federer in four exciting sets. After losing the first on a tiebreak, he took the next as a tiebreak, broke serve as the 3rd appeared to be heading to another tiebreak, and finally secured the biggest win of his career in the fourth set tiebreak. Darcis did not play his 2nd round match as he had an injury he sustained whilst beating Nadal. Murray was silently avoiding drama and had won both his first two matches in straight sets, as was Djokovic on the other side of the draw. The CEO of the tournament issued a statement insisting that the courts had not been prepared any differently to the way they have been done in the past.
Day Four- The All England Club welcomed back the rain to the tournament and several matches had to be cancelled for the day as play was behind. Of the matches played on Milos Raonic (17), Peng Shuai (24) and Mona Barthel (30) failed to make the next round. Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro (8) was also progressing through the draw without dropping a set.
Day Five- The tournament was playing catch up, although rain still interuppted play on all bar the Centre Court (which has the roof). Completed matches saw Robson progress to the 3rd round, Murray progress to the 4th round (still without dropping a set). David Ferrer (5) finally got his 2nd round match out of the way but did lose a set in the match. Only five seeds went out this round, Nicolas Almagro (15) lost to young Polish player Jerzy Janowicz (24), Tommy Robredo (32) lost to Murray and Grigor Dimitrov (29) went home also. Of the ladies Angelique Kerber (7) lost to unseeded Kaia Kanepi and Alize Cornet (29) also departed.
Day Six- Another day full of seeds falling, but most of them were lower seeds falling in comparison to higher seeds as we approached the end of the first week. Results of note on this day were unseeded Bernard Tomic defeating Richard Gasquet (9) in four very tight sets, Sabine Lisicki (23) defeating Samantha Stosur (14) over 3 sets. Robson was still making her way through the ladies draw and after dropping the first set against Marina Erakovic came through to make round four.
Day Seven- It was full of unexpected results as most went to ranking, bar one. Sabine Lisicki (23) had a knack of defeating the reinging French Open champion at Wimbledon, and today she faced Serena Williams (1) reinging French Open champion in 2013. Sabine took the first set quite easily before Serena fought back to take the next 6-1 who would win the final set and move to the next round? Lisicki kept her record in tact and took the final set 6-4. Robson had made it to the 2nd week, but was unable to get passed Kanepi but she pushed her hard as it came down to one break of serve in the 2nd set.
Day Eight, Ladies Quarterfinal Day- Marion Bartoli had been ruthlessly and quietly progressing through the rounds, down to the business end of the tournament now for the ladies and the biggest seed to fall on this day was Petra Kvitova (8) who fell in three sets to Kirsten Flipkens (20).
Day Nine- A day that will live long in the memories of British tennis fans, quarterfinals day for the men. Del Potro (8) took on Ferrer (4) and took him out in straight sets, Djokovic (1) faced Tomas Berdych (7) and won again in straight sets. There would be a Polish player in the semifinals for the first time as Janowicz (24) took on compatriot Lukasz Kubot and won in straight sets. Following on from the Del Potro - Ferrer match was Murray (2) v unseeded Fernando Verdasco. Murray had not lost a set to this point and was on course to meet Djokovic in the final, the match up everyone wanted to happen on finals day. Verdasco was having ideas of his own though, playing out of his skin he managed to take the first two sets from Murray. Murray was annoyed with himself and gave himself a good talking to (and swore at himself). The next set Murray sorted himself out and took set three very easily (6-1) and then set four was his (6-4), it would be a one set shootout to see who would get to the semifinals. With the whole of British tennis community holding it's collective breath, Murray prevailed 7-5 in the last set and everyone relaxed.
Day 10, Ladies' Semifinal Day- We were down to the last four. Bartoli (15) still had little trouble and dispatched Flipkens (20) for the loss of just three games, Lisicki faced the highest seed left in the tournament Agnieszka Radwańska (4). This was the tougher of the semifinals as it went three sets, Lisicki taking the first 6-4, before Radwanska pulled back 6-2 so it would be a final set to decide who made the final. With no tiebreak in the final set, this match went beyond the 6-6 and onwards. Lisicki eventually came through 9-7 to get into the final.
Day 11 Men's Semifinal Day- Again, down to the last four. The expected two were here Djokovic (1) and Murray (2), they faced Del Potro (8) and Janowicz (24) respectively. First up was Djokovic against Del Potro, and this proved to be a classic semifinal that went on well over 4 hours. Djokovic took the first set with one break of serve (7-5), Del Potro took the next set (6-4) to be the first person to take a set of Djokovic all tournament. Set three was a tense affair and they were toe-to-toe all the way to the tiebreak, which Djokovic dominated taking it 7-2. Set four was very similar as again Del Potro was keeping up with Djokovic and again it ended in a tiebreak. This one was much much closer and Del Potro managed to seal it 8-6. A final exciting set would seal the win for one of them. Djokovic held his nerve and held on for his final spot taking the set 6-3.
Next out were Murray against Janowicz, this was the Polish players' first Grand Slam semifinal, he had nothing to lose and showed that he was up for it as he took Murray to a tiebreak. Murray did not come through the tiebreak well, in fact he lost it 2-7. The Brit was not going to accept this lightly, and really stepped up to the plate as he hammered the Pole to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-4. The world number two had been 4-1 down in set three when a lucky net cord gave him break point, he seized it with both hands and then reeled off the next five games to seal the set. This gave Murray the belief again, and the crowd on Centre Court (and the hill outside) roared. During this, Janowicz started to complain that it was getting dark (even though there was still plenty of light out) and wanted the roof closed so they could put the lights on.
As they sat down at the change of ends after the third set, the referee came up and told Murray that they were going off court while they closed the roof. Murray was understandably annoyed as the momentum was now back with him. When the roof was closed memories flashed back to the previous year and the final against Federer. However, these thoughts did not appear to have entered the head of Murray, because on the restart he came out like a man possessed and after breaking in game three, Janowicz was finally a broken man and Murray went on to win and book his spot in the final for the 2nd year in a row.
Day 12 Ladies Final Day- This would be a final like no other, the players in it were relatively low seeds as Bartoli (15) faced Lisicki (23). Bartoli was in her secnd Wimbledon final and had not dropped a set to get here, and Lisicki was in her first. Smiling Lisicki (as she had been called) was nervous and it showed, at times she was unable to hide her emotions and was crying during the play. Bartoli took the first set 6-1, the secnd set was a bit closer as Lisicki seemed to finally have got hold of herself but Bartoli took that too 6-4 to win her maiden Grand Slam (and then retire).
Day 13 Gentlemens Final Day- The date 7/7/2013 - exactly 77 years since the last British man had won a Wimbledon singles title. Djokovic - Murray, the final everyone had wanted was finally here. Could Murray do it and finally end the wait. Everyone was expecting a long match and a five-set match at that. It didn't transpire out that way, it was a long match as both players wanted to win this. Murray broke early in the first, but was broken back again. Forward to the seventh game of the first set and Murray broke again and this time held on to take the set 6-4. In the second set, Murray did not get off to the best of starts and found himself 4-1 down. Just like in the semifinal, he pulled back to level things up taking games in a row and breaking Djokovic again (incidentally, he broke in the 7th game of this set too). At 5-5 Murray struck again and broke Djokovic again, then served out to love to take a two sets to love lead.
Into the 3rd set and Murray flew out to a 2-0 lead before Djokovic came back and won four games in a row. Murray was not having this and again broke in the 7th game of the set to get back on level terms 4-4, then broke again to be serving out for Wimbledon. Murray got out to 40-0 he had three championship points, this is where Djokovic again came back, saving each one to bring back deuce. As a British tennis supporter this game was the longest 15 mins of this writer's life, as Djokovic kept coming back, and getting break point, with sublime shots and a lucky net cord. Finally Murray managed to get his fourth championship point. This was converted when Djokovic netted, and as Andrew Castle (commentating for the BBC) famously said "The waiting is over". Had we dreamt this? No it did actually happen.